break even calculator

Increasing product lines may be a cheap solution (say you have a shop or warehouse, adding more product lines will likely add little to your holistic operational costs). When taking this approach, it is important to consider the product break even point (or line item break even point) as well as the overall break even point for the business or sub business units. The basic objective of break-even point analysis is to ascertain the number of units of products that must be sold for the company to operate without loss. Our writing and editorial staff are a team of experts holding advanced financial designations and have written for most major financial media publications.

Contribution Margin Method (or Unit Cost Basis)

For example, raising prices doesn’t the quick guide to retained earnings necessarily mean more profit as sales are typically demand led. The less availability, the easier it is to increase the relative value of a product. This is why big companies like apple release their new iPhone in a controlled manner.

Break Even Calculator

It is possible to calculate the break-even point for an entire organization or for the specific projects, initiatives, or activities that an organization undertakes. On the basis of values entered by you, the calculator will provide you with the number of units you would require to reach a break-even point. Ask a question about your financial situation providing as much detail as possible.

Reviewed by Subject Matter Experts

Once you have reached the break even point, any additional income generated after that point could be considered as profit. Once you know these three numbers, you are ready to perform your break even calculation. Using the calculator above, plug in your numbers and see how many units (ie. products) you have to sell in a typical month to cover your costs. The calculator will also tell you the total revenue you will need to bring in to cover your fixed costs PLUS the costs of delivering your product or service. The break-even point is the volume of activity at payback period formula which a company’s total revenue equals the sum of all variable and fixed costs.

Business Growth: Adding new products

break even calculator

11 Financial may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. 11 Financial’s website is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its advisory services, together with access to additional investment-related information, publications, and links. This point is also known as the minimum point of production when total costs are recovered. At the break-even point, the total cost and selling price are equal, and the firm neither gains nor losses.

At the same time, it is essential too think realistically when starting up a new venture. Break even point analysis is an important part of planning any start up. It is that point of time when your business has generated enough revenue to cover your initial cost. It also covers any fixed and variable costs incurred on a monthly basis.

  1. Our writing and editorial staff are a team of experts holding advanced financial designations and have written for most major financial media publications.
  2. Our work has been directly cited by organizations including Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Investopedia, Forbes, CNBC, and many others.
  3. Once you know these three numbers, you are ready to perform your break even calculation.
  4. All of our content is based on objective analysis, and the opinions are our own.
  5. The break-even point is the volume of activity at which a company’s total revenue equals the sum of all variable and fixed costs.

So, the break even point corresponds to the number of units you need to sell in order to break even. If you sell less than that, you make a loss, and if you sell more than that, you make a profit. It is only useful for determining whether a company is making a profit or not at a given point in time. This section provides an overview of the methods that can be applied to calculate the break-even point. Sales below the break-even point mean a loss, while any sales made above the break-even point lead to profits.

All of our content is based on objective analysis, and the opinions are our own. The break-even point or cost-volume-profit relationship can also be examined using graphs. Using the algebraic method, we can also identify the break-even point in unit or dollar terms, as illustrated below.